Counter selecting and operating



Nov. 23, 1937. w. L. PADEN 2,100,107

COUNTER SELECTING AND OPERATING MEANS Filed Novv 2, 1934 |NVENTOR 1171mm: of. file/den BY ZWMF/ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER SELECTING AND OPERATING MEANS Application November 2, 1934, Serial No. 751,175

10 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide means to select and operate any one of a plurality of consecutive counters shown and included in the mechanism shown in my Patent 1,708,189,

issued April 9, 1929. In the said patent I show selector means to select any one of a plurality of counters and the present improvement consists of a means to operate the counters after they are selected.

In the drawing I show a side view of my improved mechanism, certain of the parts being shown in cross section.

In the said patent I have shown a rearwardly extending arm 60, which is represented by the numeral of this application, which is moved downwardly each time the cash drawer is opened and is moved counter-clockwise or upwardly when the drawer is closed. There are as many such arms as there are banks of keys, as shown in the said patent but only one set of these arms which I have designated by the numeral 2 is controlled by the set of keys known as the special or transaction or clerks bank of keys and this set of arms 2 is connected by an over-turned flange 3 which overlies a shoulder 4 of a selector plate 5. As shown in the said patent the lever 60 (I in this application) is differentially positioned when the machine is operated so that its position will correspond to the depressed key. Arms 6 extend radially from the selector plate 5 to a hub which extends around the shaft 1 on which all of the parts heretofore described are pivoted. The selector plate 5 is provided with graduated radially extending notches 8, 9, l0, and II. It is 5 to be understood that there are as many such notches as there are counters. The outer rim |2 forms the arc of a circle on which ride pins 3 carried by arms It, the pins |3 being held in engagement with the outer rim l2 by means of springs I5. Each of the arms I4 is pivoted on a shaft It on which is mounted an actuating pawl I1 which is urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel |8 by means of a spring |9 coiled around the shaft I6. The shaft I5 is mounted on arms 20 pivoted on a shaft 2| on which is mounted the ratchet wheel l8 and the counting wheels 22 which are, of course, secured to their respective ratchet wheel. The arms 20 are connected by means of a yoke 23 and one of 00 the arms 20 is provided with an outwardly extending arm 24 which normally abuts against a shaft 25 to limit the upward movement of the arms 20 and the parts mounted thereon. A conventional anti-rotation pawl 26 is provided. I

55 have shown three counters and a space for an additional counter. All of these counters are of identical construction and the above description of one of the counters will sufiice for all. If any one of the pins I3 is engaged and moves to the left as viewed in the drawing so as to rotate 5 the arms 20 clockwise, the pawl I! will engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel I8 and rotate it in a clockwise direction. If now the pin I3 is moved in the opposite direction, it would rotate the arms 20 counter-clockwise dragging the pawl llover the tooth of the ratchet wheel adjacent thereto while the anti-rotation pawl 26 would hold the ratchet wheel l8 and its counting wheel 22 against rotation in an anti-clockwise direction. Each time, therefore, that the pin I3 is 15 moved to the left as viewed in the figure, one is added to the counter wheel of lowest denomination and the anti-clockwise movement of the arm 20 would simply push the pawl in a position to be operated to add a succeeding number. Any 0 conventional transfer mechanism between the counting wheels may be employed.

The spring 21 is connected at one end to any fixed support and at its other end is connected by means of a pin 28 to a lever 29 fulcrumed on the shaft 1. As shown in Figure 9 of the said Patent 1,708,189, the lever 54, not shown in this application, is moved clockwise as the drawer is opened. This lever is secured to the lever 29, the spring 21 causing the above described movement 3 of the lever 54 shown in the said patent and a corresponding movement to the lever 29 shown in this application. The pin 28 extends through an L-shaped slot 30 in a lever 3| pivoted on a pin 32. The upper end of the lever 3| is bifur- 35 cated and receives a pin 33 carried by a slide 34. This slide is mounted within a groove 35 in the selector plate 5 and its outer periphery 36 is in the form of an arc of a circle and lies substantially flush with the outer rim l2 of the selector 40 plate 5. It is provided with bayonet slots 37, 3 8, 39, and 40 which are equally spaced apart so that the outer ends of each of the slots will be simultaneously brought beneath the pins l3 of all of the arms M.

The counters might register the number of transactions of each clerk or they might register the number of operations of each of the special keys of a cash register of the type shown in the said patent. As shown in the patent, the arm 60 (I in this application) will move clockwise a distance corresponding to the setting of the key so that the respective flange 3 would be moved one distance if the lowermost key was pressed and progressively other distances if higher keys were pressed. When the flange 3 moves upwardly as above described, it will permit the shoulder a connected to the selector plate 5 to move with it and this movement is compelled by means of the spring M. Suppose, for instance, we have four counter clerks keys A, B, C, and D, A being the highest one of the keys and D being the lowest. If we press the key A, the flange 3 will be moved a sufiicient distance to position the pin l3 above the notch 3, whereas if the key B were depressed,

the notch 9 would be moved below the pin it of its counter, and if the key C were depressed the notch Iii would be moved below the pin is of its counter, and if the key D were depressed, the notch H would be moved below the pin !3 of the lowermost counter, it being obvious that only one notch 8, 9, I13, or H could be adjacent the pins I3. During this selecting movement the outer periphery 35 of the slide 34 has prevented any one of the pins 53 from entering these notches. While the notches 3, 9, IB, and H are being positioned as above described to select a counter, the pin 28 is moving clockwise in the slot 3!! but is imparting no movement to the lever 3! and does not impart any movement thereto until the pin 23 reaches the right-hand end of the slot as viewed in the drawing, whereupon it rotates the lever 3i counter-clockwise, the downwardly projecting portion of the slot 5i: receiving the pin 28 during the rotation of the lever 3i. As the lever 3! is being rotated counterclockwise it moves the slide 3 to the left as viewed in the drawing and when any one of the bayonet slots 31, 38, 39, or an reaches a position so that the upper end of the slot is beneath the selected pin l3 the spring l5 will cause the pin i3 thus selected to enter the upper end of both of the slots, for instance, the slots 8 and 31 or the slots 8 and 38, etc. As the slide 34 continues its movement to the left as viewed in the drawing, the pin i3 travels downwardly in the slots, such as the slots 8 and 31, until it reaches the bottom thereof and as the slide 34 continues its movement the pin it is actuated so as to rotate the arms 20 in a clockwise direction and actuate the counter. As the drawer shown in the said patent is pushed inwardly the lever 29 is rotated counter-clockwise into the position shown in the drawing and the slide 34 is moved by the pin 33 into the position shown in the drawing, thereby releasing the pin l3 and the spring i5 pulls the arms 29 anticlockwise or into their normal positions. After the slide 34 has been returned to its normal position,.the arm I of the arms 2 and flange 3 thereon are moved in a counter-clockwise direction, the flange 3 serving as a means to engage the shoulder 3 and return the selector plate 5 to its normal position. The pins 53 by engaging the outer periphery of the slide 35 prevent the slide from rising out of the groove 35 in the selector plate 5.

I realize that many changes may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof and I, therefore, desire to claim the same broadly except as I may limit myself in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a register, a plurality of counters, a se lector plate provided with notches and a groove, a slide provided with notches mounted in the groove, the notches in the plate being difierentially spaced apart and the notches in the slide being equally spaced apart, means to move the slide so as to bring one of the notches of the slide into alignment with one of the notches of the plate and to move the plate and slide beyond the point where the notches were brought into alignment, and means connected to the counters to engage the two notches in alignment and upon the last-named movement of the plate and slide to operate the selected counter.

2. In a register, an adjustable selector plate provided with notches, a plurality of counters, an actuating arm for each counter, means whereby the selector plate is adjusted to a position so that one and only one of said notches is in position to receive the arm of the selected counter, a slide provided with notches, means to move said slide so as to bring one of its notches into cooperative relation with the selected notch in the plate, and means to move said arm into both notches so that the continued operation of the means to move the slide will actuate the arm and its counter.

3. In a register, a plurality of counters, an actuating arm for each counter, a plate and a slide, each of which is provided with cooperating notches, and means to move said plate and slide so that selected notches therein will receive an actuating arm and to continue the movement of the slide so as to move said actuating arm and actuate its counter.

4. In a register, a plurality of counters, an actuating arm for each counter, a plate and a slide, a spring for each actuating arm to move one end of said arm towards said plate and slide,

corresponding notches in said plate and slide, means to move said plate so as to locate a selected one of its notches in a position to receive one of said actuating arms, and means to move said slide so as to bring the notch therein corresponding to the notch selected in the plate into position to receive said arm and after receiving it, to move said arm to actuate the selected counter.

5. In a register, a plurality of counters, an actuating arm for each counter, a plate and a slide, a spring for each actuating arm to move one end of said actuating arm towards said plate and slide, corresponding notches in said plate and slide, means to move said plate so as to locate a selected one of its notches in a position to receive one of said actuating arms, and means to move said slide so as to bring the notch therein corresponding to the notch selected in the plate into position to receive the actuating arm and after receiving it, to move said actuating arm to actuate the selected counter, said last-mentioned means including a lever.

6. In a register, a plurality of counters, an actuating arm for each counter, a plate and a slide, a spring for each actuating arm to move one end of said actuating arm towards said plate and slide, corresponding notches in said plate and slide, means to move said plate so as to locate a selected one of its notches in a position to receive one of said actuating arms, means to move said slide so as to bring the notch therein corresponding to the notch selected in the plate into position to receive the actuating arm and after receiving it, to move said actuating arm to actuate the selected counter, said last-mentioned means including a lever having an L-shaped slot therein, a pin, and means to move said pin to the end of said slot so as to engage said lever and actuate it.

'7. In a register, an adjustable selector plate, a plurality of counters, means whereby the selector plate may be adjusted with relation to said counters, a slide, said plate and said slide being provided with notches, the notches in the plate being differentially spaced apart and the notches in the slide being equally spaced apart, an actuating arm for each of said counters adapted to enter said notches, and means for shifting said slide, whereby when the selector plate has been adjusted to locate one of said notches in a position to receive one of said arms the shifting of said slide will bring one of the notches therein into a position to receive said arm and the continued movement of said slide will actuate the selected counter.

8. In a register comprising a plurality of counters adapted to be selectively actuated and each having an actuating member, a selecting device including an element having a plurality of notches adapted to receive the actuating members of the respective counters, a second element having means to normally prevent all of said actuating members from entering said notches and movable to a position to release the actuating member of a selected counter for movement into the notch which is adjacent thereto, and means for actuating said elements and imparting operative movement to said actuating member.

9. In a register comprising a plurality of counters adapted to be selectively actuated and each having an actuating member, a selector element having notches associated with the respective counters and arranged to be moved successively into positions to receive the respective actuating members, means for actuating said selector element to locate one of said notches in a position to receive the actuating member of a selected counter, a member movable with relation to said selector element and having means to normally prevent all of said actuating members from entering their associated notches, for releasing the actuating member of said selected counter and for imparting operative movement to said actuating member after it has entered the notch associated therewith, and means for actuating the last mentioned member.

10. In a register comprising a plurality of counters adapted to be selectively actuated and each having an actuating member, a selector element having notches associated with the respective counters and arranged to be moved successively into positions to receive the respective actuating members, means for actuating said 543-- lector element to locate one of said notches in a position to receive the actuating member of a selected counter, a member movable with relation to said selector element and having notches associated with the respective counters, arranged normally out of line with the corresponding notches in said selector element and movable simultaneously into positions to receive the respective actuating members, thereby permitting the actuating member for said selected counter to enter the corresponding notches in said selector element and the last mentioned member and to be actuated by the continued movement of the latter, and means for actuating said last mentioned member.

WILLIAM L. PADEN. 

